The Charles Olson Society of Gloucester in collaboration with many local partners has organized more than a dozen events to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Charles Olson's birth. Contact the society at jcgloucester@hotmail.com.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Gloucester’s Charles Olson Centennial Week, October 3-10, will open with five evenings of readings at three separate locations.Each reading begins at 7 p.m. They are free and open to the public.The schedule is as follows:

On Sunday, October 3, poet, novelist and CUNY Graduate Center professor Ammiel Alcalay will read from and sign copies of his recently published novel “Islanders,” at the Bookstore of Gloucester, 61 Main Street. Alcalay grew up as a summer resident of Rocky Neck in the 1950s and early 60s, with Charles Olson as a close friend of his parents, painter Albert Alcalay and his wife Vera.He has written extensively about Olson and his childhood memories of Gloucester.

Of his novel “Islanders,” published by City Lights Books, the LA Times wrote: “Atlantic islands, Northeastern U.S. fishing towns, the last years of the Vietnam War: Ammiel Alcalay flies over this time and these places. .. Memories emerge, and from the memories, stories. The placement of details on the pages is stunningly simple.”

On Monday October 4, a group of local poets calling themselves "The Usual Suspects,” will read from their own work at the Gloucester Writers Center, 126 East Main Street.Readers will include James and Amanda Cook, Kent Bowker, Schuyler Hoffman and other local talents.These writers have been inspired by the work of Charles Olson and the school of writing which formed in the 1960s called “The New American Writing,” of which Olson was a major influence. They will read from their work and discuss it with participants. Parking for the Gloucester Writers Center is across the street in the East Gloucester Marina.

On Tuesday, October 5, Gloucester natives Peter Anastas and David Rich will read fiction and non-fiction inspired by Charles Olson at the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library.Anastas will read from a recently completed memoir, “From Gloucester Out,” and his forthcoming novel, “Decline of Fishes,” also set in Gloucester. Rich will read from the fiction of the late Gloucester playwright and novelist Jonathan Bayliss, including excerpts from Bayliss’ posthumous novel “Gloucestermas,” due for publication this fall.

On Wednesday October 6, the Gloucester Writers Center, located at the former home of poet Vincent Ferrini, will host a second evening of readings featuring works by Olson's friends and fellow poets, Vincent Ferrini and Linda Crane.A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of unpublished work by Crane. Readers will include Sarah Stotzer, Joanna Bowker, Jo-Ann Castano, Carol Weston, Peter Anastas, Dorothy Nelson, Elizabeth McKim, and Fred Dewey.

On Thursday, October 7, poets Gerrit Lansing and Charles “Chuck” Stein will read from their work at the Bookstore of Gloucester, 61 Main Street.Both poets were close personal friends of Olson’s and each has paid tribute to Olson in poetry and prose. Lansing’s most recent book is “Heavenly Tree, Northern Earth,” published by North Atlantic Books.Stein is the author of a major critical study of Olson, “The Secret of the Black Chrysanthemum: The Poetic Cosmology of Charles Olson.”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3Charles Olson: Letters Home, Book SigningReading and reception with the book's editor David RichSunday, October 3 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant StreetAmmiel Alcalay reading from IslandersSunday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m.The Bookstore of Gloucester, 61 Main Street

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Peter Anastas, Charles Olson, Vincent Ferrini

(Click on the photograph to go to the blog of photographer, Mark Power)

Gloucester Writers Center

Gloucester may soon be home to a new cultural and literary center. When Gloucester’s Poet Laureate Vincent Ferrini died on Christmas Eve 2007, many of his friends in Gloucester and around the world hoped his house could be purchased andturned into a center where artistic activities could be shared with the community. Today this idea is very close to becoming a reality.

Plans are progressing to establish The Vincent Ferrini Writers Center at 126 East Main Street, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This former home of Vincent Ferrini (1913-2007) lies across the harbor from Charles Olson’s (1910-1970) 28 Fort Square home. These two poets, known as the consciences of our city for over half a century, wrote about Gloucester with enlightened passion and energy. Organizers of this project believe it is only fitting that a place that honors their work and keeps their vision alive be established.

Since Ferrini’s death Paul Sawyer, an old friend of Vincent’s who lives in California, has been advocating for the purchase of the house. This spring, Sawyer, a Unitarian-Universalist Minister, called Vincent’s nephew filmmaker Henry Ferrini to report that he has Pancreatic Cancer and has been given a year to live. With that time he wanted to put his energy toward helping to create a Vincent Ferrini Writers Center at Vincent’s East Main Street studio. The poet’s nephew was moved by Paul’s decision.

“Paul’s decision has motivated so many people close to Vincent, Charles and Paul to work to make this a reality,” Ferrini said.

To date the group has raised $23,000 and hopes to raise ten times that amount during the upcoming year. This would enable the organization to own the house outright,repair the building and begin to develop programs for the site, including public readings, writing workshops and residencies for local and visiting writers.

According to Ferrini, the timing for this project could not be more perfect.

“This year is the Centenary of Charles Olson’s birth,” he says, “and attention is focused on the poet.”

The group hopes that by October when Gloucester celebrates Olson’s centenary the project will be up and running, presenting programs, providing a writer’s retreat andfunctioning as one of the most innovative educational and cultural organization in the city.

Tax-deductible contributions for the establishing of the Center can be made to the Charles Olson Society and sent to Henry Ferrini, 5 Wall Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.